Margeret Thatcher was best for business, says Hargreaves Lansdown boss

Margaret Thatcher was "a million times better for business" than David Cameron, according to Peter Hargreaves, the outspoken multi-millionaire founder of financial services group Hargreaves Lansdown.

"The Conservatives, along with Labour, I don't think understand what it is like to run a business," said Hargreaves, 63, who jointly founded the retail brokerage in a bedroom in Bristol during Thatcher's first term as Prime Minister in 1981.

"I don't think there is any politician out there really supporting entrepreneurs at the moment."

Hargreaves is standing down as chief executive of the firm in November. He briefly threatened to quit Britain because of rising taxes. He told Bloomberg News: "I think the biggest problem at the moment is not taxation, it's regulation.

"If Cameron really wanted to impress me, he would pass one law repealing all the legislation passed by Labour over the last 10 years because they have all made it difficult to do business."